


Will you sleep with me?

by MishMoosh



Category: A.C.E (Beat Interactive Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Domestic Fluff, Donghun is grumpy, Everyone Is Sarcastic, Light Angst, M/M, Mostly Healing, Sleep Deprivation, Very slight WowKwan, Writer's Block
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-27
Updated: 2020-08-16
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:00:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25545523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MishMoosh/pseuds/MishMoosh
Summary: Donghun is a prestigious writer. Chan is a freelance photographer. Byeongkwan is an overly capable Butler. Jun is an ignored therapist. And Sehyoon is a (secret?) gardener.When Donghun suffers from insomnia, will an unlikely visitor be able to help him solve the problem?
Relationships: Kang Yuchan | Chan/Lee Donghun
Comments: 7
Kudos: 17





	1. How are you sleeping?

_Tap tap tap tap tap._

The sound of typing echoed throughout the dark study, evidence of Donghun slaving away at his computer once again in the middle of the night. His fingers flew across the keyboard trying to keep up with the stream of words gushing through his mind. His glasses slid far down his nose and his pajamas were disheveled. After another 3 pages of typing, Donghun finally paused and let out a sigh. The clock beside him read 5:56 AM. ' _Again'_ , he thought to himself. He massaged his temples slowly, trying to get the knots out of his head, before laying his arm across the desk and burrowing his face into his arm. His tired eyes finally gave out and closed themselves, blocking out the first rays of the rising sun. 

  
  
  


“Sir.”

“Sir.”

“Sir!”

“Donghun!”

Byeongkwan shook the sleeping figure on the desk until he managed to elicit a groan of acknowledgement. Donghun grimaced as he struggled to open his eyes against the sunlight that shone in from the window behind him. During the day, the study was filled with a natural warm glow thanks to the floor to ceiling windows that covered three sides of the room. This didn’t make it the optimal place to take an afternoon or even a morning nap, but Byeongkwan was happy to find his boss sleeping. Normally, he would take pity on his boss and let him continue sleeping even on a beautiful day like today, but right now Donghun was a patient and needed to go to his doctor’s appointment. 

“Dr. Park is waiting for you in the family room,” Byeongkwan announced while organizing the mess of papers on the desk. “Please make yourself presentable quickly. In case you don't remember, you are paying him by the minute.”

“Alright alright.” Donghun grumbled and sat up. He stretched his arms up towards the ceiling and rolled his neck from side to side. ' _I need to stop doing this to myself'._ He sighed, got up and wandered out the study and into his adjacent bedroom. 

Donghun washed his face and replaced his pajamas with a loose fitting shirt and slacks before heading downstairs.

Simply put, Donghun lived in a mansion. The upstairs included his master bedroom and study along with 3 other bedrooms, each with their own baths. His live-in butler, Byeongkwan, occupied one of these rooms. There were two spiral staircases on either ends of the house to provide easier access, but Donghun found that he still rarely visited the opposite half of the house. He spent most of his time in his study or the kitchen. Since it was always just him and sometimes Byeonkwan, Donghun opted to eat his meals in the kitchen at a small table beside a wide bay window with a view of his gardens. On the rare occasion that he had visitors, he would entertain them in the family room that was just below his study. And this was where he headed to meet his therapist that day. 

“Well well, good morning sleepyhead,” Park Junhee, Donghun’s long time therapist and self-declared best friend, greeted when Donghun dragged himself into the family room and plopped down onto the couch opposite Jun’s armchair. Donghun ignored him and instead lied down on the couch with his arm covering his eyes and made an attempt to go back to sleep. 

Jun sighed. “Mr. Donghun. Can we start our session now?”

“Go ahead.”

A brief silence followed, each waiting for the other to start.

“This is not how it works,” Jun finally broke the stalemate, “The patient is supposed to do the talking.”

“Let’s switch for today. I feel like if I listened to you talk for a little bit, I can fall asleep.”

Jun’s eye twitched slightly, his patience wearing thin. “Mr. Donghun, I’ve told you many times that while I am here to treat your insomnia, I am not the solution to it.” 

“But if it works, it’s fine right?”

“No. Afterall, I’m not going to babysit you 24/7.”

“I’ll pay you.”

“No amount of money would make me stay with you 24/7. That is Byeongkwan’s job and even he doesn’t do that.”

This made Donghun peek past his arm and look at Jun for the first time since their session started. “What do you mean by that? Byeongkwan is always here.”

At this, Jun coughed lightly and looked down at the notepad on his lap as if to check his notes.

“Right, anyways, how have you been sleeping?” Jun began in a professional voice.

“It’s the same. When it’s night, I can’t sleep, when it’s day, I can’t focus. I can only write when I don’t plan to.”

Jun nodded, having expected this answer. “Have you been setting a regular schedule for meals, leisure, and exercise?”

“Yeah. But it doesn’t help because my mind is the one that’s not where it’s supposed to be. It’s like it’s 5000 miles away when I’m trying to concentrate on the things in front of me, but then when I need it to be 5000 miles away for my story, it suddenly stops working.”

“What time did you sleep last night?”

“I went to bed at 11 pm and laid there for a couple hours. Then I wrote for a little bit. I finally fell asleep at around 6 am."

“Have you been meditating before going to bed?”

“I try, but I told you it just doesn’t work."

“And have you been using the white noise playlist?”

“Yes, but that’s useless too. If I’m going to end up staring at my ceiling all night anyways, I rather do it in silence.” Exasperation laced Donghun's answer. 

“How is your novel going?” 

Donghun frowned at the abrupt change in topics and slowly sat up before answering. “It’s going as well as can be expected considering I can’t consciously decide when I am able to write.”

“And does that stress you out?”

Again, there was a long pause before Donghun replied. “No. That doesn’t stress me out.”

“Why doesn’t it?”

Donghun shrugged, “I’ve always written at my own schedule. As long as the final product is to my satisfaction, it doesn’t matter how long it takes.”

Jun looked at Donghun suspiciously. “It’s been 2 years since the release of your last novel, right? Have you been in contact with your publisher?”

“My editor calls to check up on me every once in a while, but they know that there’s no use in rushing me. If they want another best seller, they have to wait until I contact them. Otherwise I can always go to another publisher with the finished product and they will be basically giving away another best seller.”

Jun shook his head slightly, wondering where Donghun’s seemingly infinite confidence came from. 

“Alright, I understand. Has there been any other things that might be causing you stress or any sudden changes in routine?”

“No. Everything is great except for the fact that I can’t sleep.”

Jun nodded and finished jotting a few things on his notepad. “Okay then, now I’ll guide you through a meditation session to see if we can relax your mind.”

Donghun lied back down on the couch and Jun put on the white noise playlist. They spent the rest of their hour long session in meditation. 

  
  
  


At noon, Byeongkwan came into the room just as the two were finishing up. 

“Lunch is ready. Jun, you’re staying for lunch right?”

“Of course. What are we having today?”

“Fresh salmon and salad.”

Jun’s face lit up and led the way to the kitchen. Donghun scowled at him from behind

“Don’t you think he does too little for him to also be mooching meals off me?” Donghun remarked to Byeongkwan, not caring if Jun heard him. 

“I think he’s doing you a favor. Otherwise, the only person you would ever get to eat with is me,” Byeongkwan stated matter-of-factly. 

Donghun’s scowl got even darker. 

“I get enough of him during our useless sessions. I don’t need to see him during meals too. It’ll just give me an upset stomach," Donghun complained loudly.

But Jun paid no mind to Donghun’s grumbling and just settled himself in his usual seat at the bay window table. Looking down at the delicious pink slab of salmon on the plate in front of him, drool was practically dripping from his mouth already.

“Hyung, can you pass the salad dressing?” Jun asked Donghun. 

“Oh, now I’m hyung, before I was Mr. Donghun.”

Jun sighed, “I’ve told you this before hyung. You should really get another therapist. It’s inappropriate for me to be your friend of 10 years and your therapist.”

“Why? Since you’ve known me for 10 years, that should make it easier for you to treat me.”

“Being your friend is helpful in some ways. For example, I know that your bad personality is not a symptom due to insomnia, but something you were born with. But all you do is ignore my advice and argue with me, so how am I supposed to help you?”

“That’s because the things you suggest don't help me.” 

Jun threw his hands up helplessly and looked towards Byeongkwan to be a voice of reason. 

Byeongkwan stifled a smile at their banter. “Jun, you’re the only one that can be Donghun’s therapist. There’s no one else who can put up with him besides you.”

Donghun nodded at this, seemingly satisfied that Byeongkwan took his side. 

“Well as long as you pay me and I get to eat delicious food, I don’t mind. In fact, I hope you keep having insomnia,” Jun grinned wickedly before digging into the salmon.

After the three of them finished their food, Jun sat back in his chair, a satisfied smile spread across his face. 

“I swear Byeongkwan, your food is better than any restaurant I’ve been to.”

“I’m glad someone appreciates it. Donghun likes stuffing himself with bread rather than a nutritional meal.”

Jun shook his head in disappointment at Donghun. “You don’t know a good thing even when it’s right in front of you. Just like this wonderful view. I would kill to have a view like this,” Jun turned to look out the bay window. “Do you even look outside when you have such a beautiful garden?” 

Donghun’s kitchen overlooked the backyard that was occupied by a large flower garden. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that this garden looked like it could belong to a palace. That was how extensive and well groomed it was. The garden was the heart and soul of Donghun’s parents when they lived there together, but even after his parents moved to the countryside, it was still very well maintained.

“Of course, I’m not blind. Byeongkwan, get me some coffee.”

“Sure. Jun, would you like a cup before you head out?”

But Jun didn’t answer as his attention was caught by something outside the window. 

“Hey, were you expecting any other visitors today?” Jun asked Donghun offhandedly. 

“No, I don’t think so. Right, Byeongkwan?” 

“Your only appointment was with Jun today.”

“Then, who is that outside wandering around your garden?”

Donghun and Byeongkwan turned simultaneously to look out the window towards where Jun was pointing. 

In the middle of the well-tended garden was a man crouching amongst the marigolds. He was dressed in a nondescript t-shirt and jeans with a large bag slung across his back. He had a camera raised to his eye and every once in a while he shifted his position before continuing to fire off the shutter. As time went on, he made his way closer and closer to the house, his focus entirely on the flowers in the garden. Finally, when he reached the edge of the garden, he looked around and caught the eyes of the three silent observers peering at him from inside the house. A startled look flashed across his face, but it was quickly replaced by a wide smile and he waved animatedly towards the house. 

Donghun stared dumbfoundedly at the young man intruding in his garden, but couldn’t help himself from waving back. 

  
  



	2. Intruding Guest, Unwelcoming Host

Four people sat uncomfortably in the living room. Five minutes ago, Byeongkwan had gone out to ask the man in the garden to leave, but ended up bringing him into the house at the request of the stranger. After serving everyone coffee, Byeongkwan now sat alongside Donghun and Jun on one couch while the still unidentified man sat opposite them in a wooden chair, sipping on his coffee and looking around the room curiously as if unaware of the rude stares aimed at him. Donghun observed him carefully as everyone settled down. The man was young with slightly disheveled hair as if it was often played with by the wind. His clothes could only be described as well-kept, but worn-in. The camera, which was the most distinguishing possession the man had on him, was now returned to its bag and laid on the table between the two parties. As the man was looking around, his eyes were wide and bright, seemingly trying to take everything in at once. Even though Donghun was constantly searching for signs of danger, he couldn’t help but think that this stranger was completely harmless. Still, he had some questions he needed answers to.

“Who are you? Why were you in my garden? And now in my house?” Donghun asked bluntly. However, instead of being flustered, the young man calmly turned to Donghun and gave him another bright smile. 

“My name is Kang Yuchan, but call me Chan. I’m a freelance photographer. I’m sorry for trespassing. I didn’t mean to, but before I knew it, I was in your backyard.”

Donghun raised a brow. His house was set quite far back from the road and surrounded by woods. His closest neighbor lived a quarter of a mile away from him so it was highly improbable for anyone to unintentionally disturb him. But now, this man was telling him that he had mistakenly wandered into his backyard. 

Seeing the suspicious look on his face, Chan continued his story. “I was actually following a deer in the woods next to this house. It was a really pretty white deer that had crossed the street right in front of me as I was driving down the road. I wanted to take a picture of it so I pulled over and got my camera, but I lost sight of it somewhere in the woods and ended up just wandering around until I saw a clearing... which happened to be your backyard.”

“Why didn’t you go back the way you came?” Jun asked, but there was no distrust in his voice, only the professional tone that he used during therapy sessions. 

“Well, you see, I kinda have a terrible sense of direction,” Chan ruffled his hand through his hair and smiled sheepishly. A look of distaste spread over Donghun’s face. _ If you’re bad with directions, why would you wander into unknown woods with no plans on how to get out? _ But he kept his thoughts to himself. Instead, he tried to quickly end the conversation. 

“I understand. I won’t hold this against you then. You should keep in mind not to trespass into other people’s property in the future, even if it's by accident.” Donghun concluded and got up to show the man out. 

“Wait! There was something I wanted to ask you, that’s why I wanted to come in and meet you face to face!”

Donghun paused, but said nothing. Chan looked around at the other two who were still sitting, before turning back to Donghun.

“Are you the owner of the house?” 

Donghun nodded. 

"May I know your name?”

“Why? I don’t think we have any more business with each other.”

“Please,” Chan pouted and showed puppy dog eyes at the frowning figure in front of him. Donghun was not swayed by this display of cuteness, but he figured that there was no harm in giving the man his name. 

“Lee Donghun.”

Chan smiled brightly again. 

“Donghun, you see, I’m a freelance photographer, and I think I fell in love with this place today! Your house and the grounds around it are so beautiful, a photographer’s heaven! I was hoping that you’d be willing to let me stay for a few days to take some more pictures?” Chan asked hopefully, but Donghun was already shaking his head so Chan quickly pushed through. “I promise I won’t cause any trouble and I will pay you a housing fee. However much you want. All I ask is a few days to roam around outside. You won’t even notice I’m here!”

“Not happening,” Donghun outright rejected. 

“Please! At least think it over!”

“No.”

“Wait, wait,” Jun interjected. “Don’t be so hasty! Chan, can you give us a moment?” Jun quickly got up and pulled Donghun aside, away from Chan.

“What is it?” Donghun asked, annoyed. He tried to brush off the arm that Jun slung over his shoulder, but Jun only pulled him closer.

“I think you should let the guy stay,” Jun whispered urgently. 

“What?? Why should I do that?”

“I’m saying this as your therapist. I think it might be good for you to get a change in atmosphere. And since you never leave this house, we need to bring the change to you.” 

“I agree,” Byeongkwan chimed in from behind. At some point, he had joined the huddle that Jun and Donghun created. 

“Even you?” Donghun looked at the two exasperatedly. “There is no way I’m letting a stranger stay in my house. That’s just asking for trouble.” 

“Have you looked at the guy? He is harmless from head to toe,” Jun argued. 

“How do you know?? He could be a serial killer who likes to take pictures of his victims before he kills them in their home!”

“Don’t be so dramatic,” Byeongkwan rolled his eyes. “It’s only for a few days. And he said he would pay. We could use an extra income since you aren’t churning out any books,” he added. Donghun glared at Byeongkwan. 

“Don’t be ridiculous, even if I don’t release new books, my royalties are more than enough for years.”

“As someone who doesn’t take care of their own expenses, of course that’s what you would think,” Byeongkwan sighed while he acted as if he’s been misunderstood his whole life, making Donghun flabbergasted. 

“Besides, even if you turn him away, doesn’t it seem like this guy would just sleep in his car or something and loiter around until he’s satisfied? At least if he’s staying in the house, you can watch over him,” Jun reasoned. 

“Why would I want to watch over him??”

“What if he gets lost in the woods again and hurts himself, or worse, meets a tragic end without anyone ever knowing? You’ll spend your whole life wondering if he made it out.”

“Okay, now you’re the one being dramatic,” but Donghun hesitated and took a peek behind them at Chan, who was still staring at him pitifully, and couldn’t deny that it was a possibility. 

“Ughhhh,” Donghun threw his head back and let out a groan. Jun and Byeongkwan looked at each other and gave a thumbs up, knowing they had succeeded. 

Donghun finally turned around and addressed Chan again. “Fine. I’ll give you three days. Finish what you need to do in three days and then you’re out of here.” 

“One week!” Chan pleaded, with his hands clenched together and one finger raised in front of his face as if he was praying.

“No way.”

Jun and Byeongkwan nudged him simultaneously and Donghun groaned loudly again before submitting to them. 

“Fine! One week! That’s it! Now leave me alone!” And with that Donghun stormed out the room. 

“Don’t mind him. His lack of human interaction makes him a terrible host,” Byeongkwan smiled at Chan.

“Are you sure this is ok?” Chan asked, even though he was the one who unabashedly asked to stay. “He seems pretty upset.”

“Don’t worry, he just likes to complain so that he can hear the sound of his own voice,” Jun snorted. 

“Do you have any luggage with you?” Byeongkwan asked. 

“Ah, yes. I left it all in the car. I’ll go get it now.” 

“I better go with you to make sure you don’t get lost.” 

“Thanks,” Yuchan smiled sheepishly again. Jun decided it was also about time for him to go, so the three walked out together. 

“By the way, do you guys also live here?” Yuchan asked.

“Oh sorry, where are my manners. I’m Byeongkwan, the Donghun’s live-in butler. But I guess you can consider me as something like his parent. I make sure he gets fed on time and has a decent roof over his head.”

“Hahaha! I guess I’ll be in your care for the next week then.”

“My pleasure.” Byeongkwan smiled and gave an exaggerated bow.

“And I’m Jun, Donghun’s best friend and according to my paychecks, his therapist.” When Chan gave him a blank stare, he continued. “Think of me as someone who gives him a pat on the head when he wants it and a push from behind when he needs it.”

Chan thought about it for a second before answering. “That sounds like a nice person.”

“Haha, you should tell that to Donghun if you get a chance. He doesn’t believe it when I say it. Anyways, I hope you’ll get along with Donghun for this week. He doesn’t let it on, but he’s a good guy deep down,” Jun sincerely said to Chan as they reached Jun’s car in the driveway. He looked back at the house once more, his eyes seeking out the second floor window belonging to Donghun’s study. “And it can get pretty lonely in that big house,” Jun added almost as an afterthought.

Then he bid his farewell to Byeongkwan and Chan and drove off. The remaining two continued their way past the driveway to find Chan’s abandoned car. 

“About the rent,” Chan started. 

“Don’t worry about it. We have more than just a few empty rooms that you can use and it doesn’t cost anything to host one person.”

“But-”

“It’s okay. Donghun is rich and needs to learn to use money generously.” Byeongkwan left Chan no room for argument so Chan gave his thanks. After a brief walk down the street, they finally came upon Chan’s car and got in and drove back to the house with all his belongings which actually just consisted of one suitcase and a bunch of camera equipment. 

“Are you sure this is really all you have?” Byeongkwan asked Chan again as he led the way up the stairs to the room that Chan will be staying in. 

“Yup. I travel light just in case,” Chan replied readily. 

Byeongkwan nodded and pushed open a door to an empty, but well kept room. Inside, there was a large bed, a small bedside table, and a desk set against large windows. There were two sets of doors branching off from this room, leading to a walk-in closet and a private bathroom. 

“There should be some towels and toiletries in the bathroom already and fresh sheets in the closet if you want them. Let me know if you need anything else and I’m sure we can get it for you.”

“Thanks! The room is great,” Chan praised as he looked around.

“Dinner will be at 6 so feel free to come down to the kitchen then.” 

“Sounds great. If it’s ok, can I look around the house?”

“Yeah sure. The only place you should stay away from is Donghun’s room which is at the other end of this hallway. He likes his privacy and you probably won’t see much of him, but sometimes he is awake at odd hours so just keep that in mind. Don’t want him to give you a scare in the middle of the night.” 

Chan smiled, “Don’t worry, I’ve even slept in haunted houses before.”

Byeongkwan raised an eyebrow, but didn’t comment. 

“I stay in the room two doors down, if you need anything.”

After Byeongkwan left, Chan took a quick glance around his room again before heading back downstairs and exploring the various rooms. He thought he set his expectations of the mansion quite high when he first saw the large castle-like exterior from the outside, but seeing the place from the inside blew all his expectations away. The foyer where he first came in through was two stories high and there was a balcony from the second floor that overlooked it. To the left of the foyer was the living room where they had their conversation earlier. This room ,like the rest of the mansion, had stone walls, hardwood floors, and a chandelier that hung from a high ceiling. The antique furniture and large paintings of beautiful scenery that hung from the walls gave the room a touch of warmth. 

Chan walked past the living room and into what looked like an extensive library. There were rows and rows of bookshelves that reminded him of a maze. Chan only browsed quickly through them, but could see that there were all kinds of genres, from medieval time history books to romance novels. There were also several sculptures displayed along the perimeter of the room, each with a plaque beside it explaining the origins and significance of the art piece. Next to the library was a nearly empty room, occupied by a single majestic grand piano. Chan looked at it longingly, but moved on without approaching it. 

Next was the dining room with a long oak table that looked like it could fit at least 10 people comfortably. A chandelier even more extravagant than the one in the living room and the high back chairs hinted at the decorum needed to be able to occupy a seat at this table. The kitchen in the room next door however, gave off the completely opposite feeling. It was rustic, cozy, and filled with natural light. Chan noted that this was where dinner will be held and moved on. 

He passed by the second staircase and peeked up curiously. He could make out a room that Byeongkwan had pointed out to him as Donghun’s room earlier. He stared at the open door for a while, looking for signs of movement, but didn’t see any. 

The next room that Chan entered was the family room. This room did not have a chandelier, but instead a small fireplace that gave everything a warm glow. Picture frames sat on the mantel and were filled with what looked like Donghun’s family and friends. There were also several shelves displaying various trophies and awards ranging from Donghun’s childhood days to adulthood. From these, Chan saw that Donghun was actually a highly acclaimed author, giving him a newfound respect for his unwilling host. 

The furniture in this room did not look like antiques, but were much more comfortable. Chan settled into a large armchair beside the fireplace and gazed up at a large portrait of what looked like Donghun and his parents when he was about high school age. The figures in the portrait seemed to be smiling fondly down at Chan and he couldn’t help but feel a wave of warmth wash over him. He didn’t fight it when he felt his eyes slowly close and he fell into a deep sleep, a smile upon his own face. 


End file.
